Wednesday, 1 January 2014

Boat
owners looking to adopt New Year resolutions are being asked to consider River
Canal Rescue membership.The breakdown
and emergency assistance firm estimates only 15% of owners are members, yet
call-out numbers are increasing.

River
Canal Rescue says out of the 70,000 or so boats currently registered on the
waterways, only 10,500 have a 24/7 support mechanism in place, the remainder -
85% - appear happy to adopt the ‘it’ll never happen to me’ philosophy.

And
with this year’s call-out levels topping 3700 by 1 December 2013 - 20%* higher
than 2012’s overall tally of 3100 - RCR Managing Director, Stephanie Horton,
says this is a risky strategy: “We assisted many owners who failed to service
and maintain their boats before setting off on their first journey of the year,
but this is really the tip of the iceberg.
The total number of people encountering problems must be huge.”

Maintenance
oversights and failure to take out breakdown cover are often due to financial
strain - however those with RCR membership consider it essential. In a recent Facebook poll, RCR asked site
visitors to identify the one thing they would not give up if their finances
became stretched; 58% said RCR Breakdown Cover, 16% boat maintenance, a further
16% pet insurance and 10% car breakdown cover.

Stephanie
concludes: “Owners clearly value the peace of mind our cover gives over their
own boat maintenance. Whilst the
majority may consider RCR membership an unnecessary expense, it’s worth
remembering that if you do breakdown or require emergency assistance, the
overall cost will be much higher.”

River
Canal Rescue membership starts at £55 per year, four levels of cover are
available and replacement parts cover is included or can be added to
membership. To find out more, visit www.rivercanalrescue.co.uk or call 01785 785680.

In
order to avoid another year of ‘record-breaking call-outs’, River Canal Rescue
is giving boat owners 10 maintenance tips to help keep their craft in a sound
condition and ready for the rigours of winter and beyond.

From
January to 1 December 2013, the breakdown and emergency assistance firm
attended 3731 call-outs, 20% more than the previous year’s tally* which was up
to the end of the year. Calls spiked during June to August when an
additional 100 breakdowns per month were logged.

Managing
Director, Stephanie Horton, says: “The number of breakdown call-outs were
unprecedented. The sun encouraged many
boaters back on the water after years of poor weather, and as these boats had
not been in use, it resulted in high numbers of vessels experiencing breakdowns. In many cases, the call-outs could have been
avoided if owners had undertaken some general maintenance, particularly before
setting off on their first journey of the year. “

She
continues: “Hopefully our maintenance tips will reduce the likelihood of owners
having to contact us, ensuring their next holiday is an uninterrupted one.”

Top
10 maintenance tips

·
Check batteries are charging correctly and that the charge rate from the
alternator to the batteries is as it should be.

· Check
the morse control is working correctly and that the throttle and gears are
selecting smoothly.

· Check
you have enough fuel to complete your journey and inspect all fuel lines and
shut off valves for leaks.

· Check
the condition of stern gland, ensure there’s plenty of grease supplied to it
and that the prop shaft is turning freely.

· Check
the engine oil and gearbox oil levels and top up if needs be.

· Check
the condition of the fan belt. If it’s
worn get it replaced.

· Check
all coolant hoses for leaks and wear and tear. Replace if required. For raw
water-cooling engines, check the seacock, impeller and filter and all pipe work
for leaks.

· Check
the condition of the engine mounts. If they are worn replace them or if the
bolts seem loose, tighten before cruising again (but only adjust the top bolt).

· Check
all bolts and connections are tight on the coupling.

· Check
the air filter and replace or clean as needed.

Stephanie
concludes: “Only around 15% of boat owners have RCR membership so these figures
are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the real number of people
experiencing breakdowns. Those without
our support mechanism will be left to their own devices to rectify the problem
so our maintenance tips could prove invaluable.”

As
well as providing breakdown and emergency assistance support, River Canal
Rescue offers Replacement Parts Cover, reimbursing owners for the supply and
labour costs associated with the replacement of a failed part. To find
out more about this and other RCR services visit http://www.rivercanalrescue.co.uk
email enquiries@rivercanalrescue.co.uk or
call 01785 785680